


Jet Black Heart

by alltimesamx



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, fluff later on, named after a 5 seconds of summer song don't judge me, oh hi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 05:58:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4735124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltimesamx/pseuds/alltimesamx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura applies for a job at a tattoo parlor after recovering from an accident. It's....an interesting experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Laura was a little scared, she had to admit it. Going in for a job interview was definitely something she hadn't done in a long time, not since her accident. When she'd applied for a job, and then the day before she was supposed to start--she got into a terrible accident that left her with a broken leg, and now that she was healthy again, it was so nervewracking going back to working. She lost her job, considering she couldn't work for at least six weeks, but now she had applied to a tattoo parlor as a receptionist. She was meeting with the owner--Karnstein, was it? Anyway, she was meeting with the owner over lunch to discuss her application. Gosh, she really hoped this woman wasn't a bitch. She'd deal with it if she was, but she really, really hoped she wasn't.

As she sat in the booth waiting, she checked her time. She figured it was best to show up a little early. One of the first jobs she had, she had showed up late, and didn't even bother to comb her hair. (She didn't get that job.)

She decided to text Lafontaine while waiting.

_L: Well, I'm here._

_LaFonBrain: is she there yet?_

_L: nope. Then again, I'm ten minutes early._

And she figured Ms. Karnstein would show up on time, she didn't. She was fifteen minutes late. Which shouldn't be a big deal, right? But instead of dressing formally, like Laura did, she was--wow, okay. Those were leather pants.

"Hi, I'm Laura--"

"Hey, cupcake." she said, sitting down across from Laura. "Man, I'm starved."

"It's a pleasure to meet--"

"Right back at you, cutie." she said, looking at the menu. "How long have you been waiting?"

Instead of being rude, Laura decided to brush off the rude behavior of her potential boss. It's just a lunch meeting, anyway. "About twenty-five minutes."

"You do know we were supposed to meet at 5:00, not 4:50 right?"

"Yeah, I just thought I'd show up early."

"I wouldn't have noticed otherwise." Carmilla said. "So cupcake, tell me about yourself, and why on earth you'd wanna work for me."

"Well--I--I was in an accident right as I was about to start a new job, and I wanted to get back to working."

"So you're accident-prone?" Carmilla asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Laura said, nervous now. "I was helping my friend with their science experiment and--we had problems."  
Carmilla laughed.

"It's not funny." Laura said, blushing.

"That's debatable, but I'm laughing at that cute little bunched up face you make when you're angry, buttercup."

Okay, that made Laura mad. This was a job interview, not a blind date--which this girl made it sound like one. Laura didn't care how good she looked in those leather pants, or how cute that little smirk was, the nicknames were annoying her and this was supposed to be professional. "Anyway--so, yeah, I...just really need this job."

"Uh-huh." Carmilla said. "Where's our waiter? Have they even been to the table?"  
"Yeah, but they got tired of waiting for you." Laura mumbled, not realizing what she said. Carmilla raised an eyebrow again, and then smirked.

"Well, well, cupcake. You're sassy. I like it. That's what I'm looking for."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I mean, I don't want some proper nice girl working my front desk. It's a tattoo parlor, not the library." Carmilla laughed. Wow, her laugh was beautiful. "So when can you start?"

Weirdest. Job. Interview. Ever.

 

"So she just hired you because you're sassy? She didn't look at your resume or anything?" Lafontaine asked later that night. Laura removed her ponytail and nodded.

"Which, it's like, wow, that's cool, but yet, it's something I didn't expect."

"Did you take the job?" J.P. asked from the couch. Lafontaine put a movie into the VCR player.

"Well, yeah. I needed the money for college next year. It's just--confusing."

"So tell me about the leather pants." Lafontaine said, taking a seat next to J.P. Laura sat down on the other couch.

"Well, considering it was really hot outside today, she wore them like a boss."

Lafontaine and J.P. both laughed. Laura just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I don't want to think about my boss. I have two more days before I can work. So can we just watch the movie?"

"Whatever you say, crushes-on-bosses." Lafontaine laughed.

 

When Laura showed up at the tattoo parlor, she expected to see muscular guys with tattoos all up their arms. But instead, she was greeted by a girl with red hair, who, when she stood up--had to be at least a foot taller than Laura. "Hey, you must be Laura." she said as Laura walked in.

Laura looked around. There were posters of Joan Jett everywhere, and a few records on the wall. There were pictures of what looked like most of the customers, or the regulars. She looked up and caught the girl at the desk's eye. "Oh, yeah, I'm Laura. Laura Hollis." she smiles, holding out her hand.

The girl returned the smile, shaking Laura's hand. "Danny. Alright, well, Carmilla should be here soon, but I'll go ahead and give you the tour." she stepped out from behind the desk and led Laura to the back, where a few people were sitting on their phones. "Guys, this is Laura. She's taking my place."

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"No, I'm starting college, so I can only work part-time. I'll be working nightshifts and you'll be taking my day shifts." Danny smiled. "This is Betty, and Will, Carmilla's brother."

"Hey, welcome!" Will smiled. "Listen, whatever Carmilla says to you--just ignore her. She can be kinda rude, but she's a softie inside."

"Don't tell her we told you that, though." Betty added. Laura nodded. She definitely didn't want to make Carmilla mad.

"So even though you're working the desk, you still need to know the basics in case a customer has any questions or you have to take one of our places for a day. Most of the customers are regulars, but it's still good to know. It's still surprising that she even cares to be that prepared. Don't tell her we told you that, either."

"Was she late to your interview?" Will asked. Laura nodded.

"Only fifteen minutes, though."

The bell to the front doors opened, a bell ringing. "That's her." Danny says, walking out to the front. Laura followed behind.

"Hey, cupcake." Carmilla said, putting her keys down on the desk. "Oh hey, you're not allergic to cats are you?"

"No." Laura said. "Why?"

"She brings her cat, Taylor, in here sometimes." Danny explains. "Well, I'm out of here. I've got orientation."

Danny left, and then Laura felt alone. Danny seemed to understand what Carmilla was like, but at least Betty and Will were there. But what if they didn't talk about Carmilla unless Danny was around? What if they didn't want to help Laura when Carmilla was being rude and--okay, she's getting ahead of herself. Laura knows perfectly well that bosses are supposed to be rude sometimes.

"Why are you so quiet, cupcake?" Carmilla asked.

"No reason." Laura said.

"No, don't do that. We don't lie in this place. You do that, and you're out." Carmilla told her. "Okay, you need a code to clock in." she said, pulling up a screen on the register.

Laura quickly entered a code.

"Relax, cupcake. Don't be in such a rush." Gosh, so many rules, Laura thought.

"Hey, kitty, Brian just called. His piercing came out again."

"Again?" Carmilla asked, then groaning. "Tell him to come in at lunch. I've got all morning lined up with appointments." She glanced at Laura. "Oh, cupcake, that reminds me. It's required that you have at least one tattoo or piercing that isn't the ear. You okay with that?"

"I--I--"

"Listen, you don't have to get the tattoo. But everyone working here at least needs a nose piercing, lip piercing, something. You can move up to the tattoo, I don't care. Today's an exception, but if you're not comfortable with it, then I suggest you walk out."

Laura thought about it. She did say on the application that she would do whatever she needed to for this job. "No, I'll do it."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "Wow, cupcake. I didn't know you had it in you."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." Laura smiled. Carmilla smirked.

"I look forward to finding out what those things are."

Yeah, this was going to be an interesting job.

 


	2. Never Quote High School Musical In My Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura's first day on the job continues; she meets a regular, and gets a nose piercing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!! <3

Will was helping Laura learn how to work the register, and they were waiting for Brian to show up. It was lunchtime and Will had spent the whole morning training Laura while Carmilla and Betty did tattoos and piercings. They'd had a pretty good conversation so far, and she'd learned that Will was younger than Carmilla, and they'd grown up not too far from where Laura grew up. She learned that when Carmilla first hired Danny, they hated each other, but learned to get along. He was a talker, but he was calm and collected and patient.    

 

"So yeah, if you have any questions, come find me." Will told her. "Brian should be here any minute now. He's, well, he'll probably flirt with you." Will said. "If it bothers you, tell me."

"Oh no, it's fine. My friend Kirsch flirts with me all the time." Laura replied. "Is Brian a regular?"

"Yeah, he is. He's been coming for about six months. Most of our regulars have been coming for a few years, though."

Carmilla walked out from the back, drying her hands on a paper towel. "How's it going, cupcake?"

"Fine." Laura replied. "Will was just showing me how to work the register."

The door opened, and a guy in ripped skinny jeans and a band shirt walked in. He had spiky hair, and he looked like he didn't even brush it today. "Hey, my favorite people!" he smiled, launching himself at Carmilla for a hug. He was tall, but not as tall as Danny. "Who's this little cutie?"

"Easy on her, Brian." Will said, glaring at him. "She's new."

"Oh! Okay, sorry about that cutie! Anyway, I'm Brian. You'll probably see me in here a lot." Brian smiled, leaning over the desk.

"I'm Laura." Laura said, holding out her hand. He shook it, surprisingly gentle, and looked over at Carmilla. "So are we fixing this thing or not?"

"We literally just fixed it last weekend." Carmilla said. "But sure, come on."

They went to the back, where Laura could hear him flirting with Betty. She laughed, to which Will replied, "Told you."

 

"Well, cupcake. It's now or never. Do you--"

"THIS IS THE LAST TIME TO GET IT RIGHT--"

"....did you seriously just sing High School Musical in my shop?"

Laura blushed. "Yeah, I mean--"

"Never. Again." Carmilla muttered. "Do you want a nose piercing or not? Or a lip piercing?"

"Nose." Laura said. "Let's just make it quick."

"You're adorable, cupcake." Carmilla muttered, leading Laura back to one of the rooms. "Okay, just sit up on the table."

"I feel like I'm at the doctor." Laura said, trying to hop up onto the table. "I--do you have a stool? I'm too short."

"I got you, cupcake." Carmilla said, lifting Laura up onto the table. She grabbed an achohol pad. "Which side?"

"Right." Laura said, suddenly nervous that Carmilla was so close to her. She could practically feel her breath on her face.

"You nervous, cupcake?" Carmilla asked, wiping Laura's nose and glancing into her eyes. Laura could tell she tried to play it off, but she sounded nervous too.

"No, no--"

"Then why do you have goosebumps?" Carmilla asked, stepping away. She grabbed the needle. "Lay back, creampuff."

Laura laid back on the table, with Carmilla leaning over her. Laura knew she shouldn't be having these thoughts about her boss, but she couldn't help but acknowledge how she was definitely not complaining about this. Even if it was a nose piercing, even if it was against everything her dad taught her, even if it was--

Ouch. That hurt.

Carmilla started laughing. "You didn't expect that, did you cupcake?"

"No, I didn't." Laura said, feeling tears form in her eyes.

"Don't worry, it triggers the tear duct." Carmilla said, carefully wiping the tears from her eyes. "And it's gonna be sore in a few hours, so take some ibuprofen. It might start bleeding, but some people don't bleed. From the looks of it, though--you are."

"I am?" Laura asked. Carmilla nodded and wiped her nose. 

"Just hold this here." she said, handing the tissue to Laura.

"Hey, um, thanks." Laura smiled lightly. Carmilla just nodded. "Listen--do you--would you wanna come to hang out with me and my friends this weekend? You, Will, and Betty, I mean."  
"I can't. My sister is coming in town." Well, that's better than saying she doesn't want to.

"She can come too, I mean, if you want." Laura said.

"Trying to ask me out, cupcake?"

"No, no!" Laura blushed.

"Relax, I'm kidding. I think I might like that very much."

Laura smiled. "Cool."

It was silent for a minute. "Care to tell me when this event is, cutie?"

"Oh, right! It'll probably be at my friend Lafontaine's house, because J.P. never cleans his place and Perry doesn't want hers to be a mess."

"Okay." Carmilla laughed a little. At least she's laughing. "But I asked you when it was, not where. That's important, too, tohough."

"Oh, right! Uh, this weekend." Laura blushed. Carmilla laughed.

And wow, that was a beautiful laugh.


	3. Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla, Will, and Betty go to a party at Lafontaine's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long, got some stuff going on in my life and just hadn't been writing lately. But here's something I wrote today, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Carmilla typically didn't plan this much over what she would wear to an outing. She usually just put something on, not caring. But this was different, because this was Laura. Laura had invited her to hang out with her and her friends. Sure, Betty and Will were invited, but for some odd reason, Carmilla was nervous. Not really nervous. Just...nervous.

"You ready?" Will asked, walking into the shop wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Betty followed behind, wearing a short skirt and a crop top.

"Yeah, whatever." Carmilla said, slipping on her leather jacket. She was glad she had chosen something before they showed up, otherwise she'd never hear the end of it. She had chosen leather pants and a corset, smirking at the thought of Laura probably getting flustered over it.

"Then let's go." Will said.

Oh, this will be fun, Carmilla thought.

 

When they pulled up to Lafontaine's house in Carmilla's jeep, a redhead was in the front yard, poking at something. They didn't look up when Carmilla, Will, and Betty got out of the car, but nodded towards the door. "Laura's inside."

The three of them looked at each other and shrugged, heading inside. Once they got inside, they noticed what looked like a lot of science related posters on the wall. They heard people in the kitchen, so that's where they headed.

"Laura, I just think that--oh, hello!" a curly haired red head smiled as they walked in.  _What's with all the redheads?_  


Laura currently had her finger in a bowl of what looked like brownie batter, but quickly forgot about the mix when she saw Carmilla. "H-hey." she stuttered. Carmilla chuckled, walking closer to Laura as Will and Betty went to talk to the curly haired redhead.

"Hey, cupcake." Carmilla smiled. "Don't you look like a virgin sacrifice."

"I'm not the one in a corset--which, wow." Laura smiled, batting her eyes at Carmilla. Carmilla raised an eyebrow. Two can play this game.

"Oh, that reminds me. William, give her the champagne."

Will handed Laura the champagne bottle they had brought, and Laura's eyes widened. "Wow, this is seriously expensive champagne...where did you even find that?" she asked.

"I have my methods." Carmilla smirked. Will, Betty, and the curly haired redhead noticed major tension, so the redhead made casual conversation, leaving Carmilla glaring at her for interrupting.

"I'm Perry, by the way." she said. "We're making brownies, if you all wanna help."

"I don't know, I'm kinda having fun talking to this cupcake." Carmilla smirked once again at Laura. She could fel Perry's eyes burning into her. Oh well, she thought.

"Well you have hands, put them to use." Laura smiled back. "By which I mean, help with the brownies?"

This frustrated Carmilla. She was so used to getting women to fall at her feet. She sighed but nodded, helping with the brownies anyway. At one point, Carmilla must've gotten something on her nose, because Laura giggled and reached for it with a napkin. "You've got a little..."

"Would you look at that, the boss of a tattoo shop has brownie mix on her nose." Betty laughed. Soon, Will, Perry, and Laura were laughing. Carmilla even smiled a little (after brooding)

Once the brownies were made, Laura dragged Carmilla out to the backyard where the trampoline was. "Come on, Carm, it'll be fun! Haven't you ever been on one of these before?"

Carmilla shook her head. "No."

"You haven't? Then you have to!" Laura smiled, jumping on the trampoline. Carmilla smiled a little. She climbed up on the trampoline and laid down next to Laura.

"What're you thinking about?" Laura asked.

  
_Kissing you. Which would be completely innopropriate because I'm your boss but who the hell cares, I wanna kiss you, right here, under the stars, like a cliche film, if only you would just move a little closer...._  "The stars." Carmilla said.

"The stars?" Laura asked.

"Yeah. It's amazing, how small we are in comparison."

"I have a question. Why are you working in a tattoo shop, you sound like a philosiphy student to me."

Carmilla smiled a little. "I went for one semester and I got kicked out, and that was the end of that dream."

"Why did you get kicked out?"

"No reason." Carmilla shook her head. "You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm a journalism student." Laura said. "Seriously though, can't you just go to another college?"

Carmilla sighed. "I got kicked out of Yale. I went on a scholarship for track, because I ran track all throughout high school, and I got kicked out. No college will take a kid that got kicked out of Yale."

"Oh. I'm--I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, cutie. You didn't know."

"I know. But it's not fair."

"You don't even know what I did to get kicked out."

"So? I can still feel sorry for you, Carm."

The two sat in silence for a while, gazing up at the stars. Little did Laura know, that's the first time Carmilla's ever opened up about anything, especially getting kicked out of Yale.

Because maybe Laura was worth it.


	4. Author's Note

Hey guys, I am so sorry I haven't updated. I've been so busy with work and school and editing my non-fanfiction stuff (I  just started on that, but you know.) I'll try to update when I can. Sorry I'm taking so long!!

 

P.S. I also went to Canada for the Almost Adults trailer and met Adrianna, Sarah, Elise, and Maryne. That was pretty fun. xD

 

Again, I'm sorry! :)

 

-alltimesamx


End file.
